By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian gas union on Tuesday decided to keep on strike and not to receive restricted fuel shipments as long as Israel does not increase the amount of daily deliveries.
The Petrol Station Owners Association (PSOA) “still refuses to receive the reduced fuel shipments and refuses to run gas stations unless Israel makes a commitment allowing the delivery of all needed fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip,” said Mahmoud al-Khozendar, vice-president of the association.
The association has learnt that Israel was not going to increase to the same amounts of the fuel supplies as before completely withholding the deliveries on April 9, according to al-Khozendar.
The EU-funded industrial diesel, used to run Gaza’s sole power plant, is still allowed into Gaza while the cooking gas, vehicle diesel and gasoline are sharply reduced.
Following weeks of strike, around 1 million liters of diesel and gasoline were accumulated in the Palestinian National Authority’s (PNA) depots at Nahal Oz crossing via which fuel is piped into Gaza.
Given the current fuel crisis, the diesel and gasoline at such an amount will run out in three hours if being received.
Israel applied gradual restrictions on the fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip after the Islamic Hamas movement took over the coastal enclave in June.
On April 9, Israel stopped the reduced shipments after Palestinian militants attacked the Nahal Oz crossing and killed two Israeli utility workers.
Moreover, al-Khozendar denied reports that Hamas forces have stormed the depots and seized 45,000 liters of fuel.
He disclosed that the amount of fuel has gone to the United Nations Works and Relief Agencies (UNRWA) which has resumed food deliveries to some 650,000 Palestinians.